Stephen O’Malley is a musician, predominantly a guitarist, producer and composer from Seattle who has conceptualised and participated in numerous drone doom, death/doom, and experimental music groups (the most notable being Sunn O))).
1.) WHICH RECORD HAS HAD THE MOST PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON YOU?
This changes seasonally and over the years. Sorry if that’s boring but I guess music increases various sensitivities and contrasts constantly! The stacks grow to the sky!
2.) HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU SPEND A WEEK RECORDING/PLAYING/CREATING?
Never enough! But as much as possible.
3.) WHICH OF YOUR OWN CREATIONS IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
Well, in regards to musical creations I love the way our backline has developed, all of the integral details and specifications becoming clearer and more efficient in the quest for the greatest TONE. The aura surrounding this quest has developed in so many ways and it’s really interesting and surprising how this creates itself outside of our influence and motivated externally.
4.) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST REGRET?
When you put it that way I start to remember endless mistakes and fuck ups… life is long.
5.) WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?
Reading and consuming as much oxygen and audio is a vitality.
6.) OTHER THAN FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION?
My search for individuality and confidence.
7.) TELL ME THREE OF YOUR HEROES/HEROINES?
David Bowie “Heroes”
Heroin “Heroin”
Nico “Heroine”
8.) WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?
The present.
9.) IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE YOUR ART WHAT OCCUPATION DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING?
Good question. I think about this daily… but have no idea at the moment. A friend once told me that the “usefulness” of an artists ranks very low… for example it’s 1000 artists who are as useful as one plumber. This is a very protestant viewpoint, and quite sad but I get the idea in regards to being solid on the earth and within the society. But we aim for the beyond, that is the disease… so I would say I always regret not continuing astronomical and physics studies in university but these days perhaps I’d love to just be an arborist or park ranger?
10.) IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT YOU HAVE NEVER CONVEYED IN AN INTERVIEW BEFORE WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
I grow less and less interested in letting the world know about my personal life to be honest. According to the “world” of the internet I am already a multitude of personalities whom are totally fabricated and foreign to the reality.